


Touch-Starved

by love_write_edit_sleep



Category: Sanders Sides, Thomas Sanders, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Multi, Touch-Starved, Virgil even gives Roman his posters just to brush his hand
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-03-17
Packaged: 2019-04-03 15:59:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13999602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love_write_edit_sleep/pseuds/love_write_edit_sleep
Summary: Virgil keeps subtly touching the other sides, who soon realise he’s ‘touch starved’ and try to help.





	Touch-Starved

**Logan:**

“Virgil!”

Virgil moaned as he appeared next to Logan and Roman.

“What?”

“Help us settle a debate, would you, Nightmare-y Poppins?” Roman threw his arm up flamboyantly.

“That … wasn’t even clever … ” Virgil muttered. “But sure.”

“Okay, we’re trying to decide whether it’s best to buy a shirt that I want as a treat for achieving so much recently, or whether to use it as a ‘bribery’ to motivate me to the end of the week, and then buy it.” Thomas explained.

“And … What’s everyone’s opinions?”

“I think he should motivate himself with it.” Logan adjusted his glasses.

“I think he should have it now! He want’s it so why not?” Patton beamed.

“I think he should get one now and one next week.” Roman brushed off his outfit.

“Right … Well, usually, I’d tell you that you don’t deserve the shirt, or remind you how poor you are or whatever … but since I’m … trying … I think I have an idea.” Virgil waved his hand, conjuring a coin. “Roman’s is a no, purely because Thomas only wants one shirt, and he’s really not in a financial situation to throw money around like that.”

“Fair enough.” Roman shrugged.

“Thomas, heads means you get it now, tails means you get it next week.” Virgil threw the coin in the air and caught it, slamming it down on the back of his hand. He showed it to Thomas.

“Tails … ” Thomas looked disappointed.

“So you get it now.” 

“But tails meant he was to get it next week.” Logan pointed out.

“Yeah, but he wasn’t happy about the answer he got, which meant he already knew what he wanted to do. He just didn’t realise.”

“Oh, that makes sense!” Patton grinned.

“Wow … ” Logan breathed. “That was … brilliant.”

“Whatever … ” Virgil blushed. “By the way, it’s a two-tailed coin … ”

“Ooooh!” Thomas and Patton giggled.

“May I see?” Logan asked. Virgil handed the coin over to Logan, brushing his fingers over Logan’s palm as he did. Logan pretended not to notice. “Incredible.”

“I can conjure weird stuff.” Virgil shrugged.

“Like yourself?” Roman smirked.

“Yeah, yeah, very funny … ” Virgil muttered before sinking back down and going to his room.

* * *

**Patton:**

“Hey, Kiddo … ?” Patton knocked on Virgil’s bedroom door. “Are you alright in there?”

_ “Yeah.” _

“Are you sure? Because I can hear sniffing.”

_ “I _ _ … _ _ um, have a cold.” _

“We don’t get colds, Virge.”

_ “I’m pretending to be a dog then.” _

“I don’t think pretending is your thing, Son.” Patton smiled sadly.

_ “Ugh, what do you want?” _

“Can I come in, Kiddo? Please?”

_ “No?” _

“Don’t make me get Roman.”

_ “Fine _ _ … _ _ ” _

Patton beamed to himself as he heard a lock slide on the other side of the door. He carefully pushed the door open to find Virgil curled up in a ball, his knees to his chest and eyeshadow tinted tear tracks staining his cheeks. Patton gasped.

“Oh, my poor little anxious baby … ” Patton whispered, kneeling down in front of Virgil. “What’s wrong?”

“Everyone hates me … ” Virgil whispered. Patton reached up, brushing his hand through Virgil’s hair. Virgil hummed in content.

“I don’t hate you.” Patton assured him, noticing how Virgil was nudging closer to his hand. “Roman and Logan and Thomas don’t either. We’re a mess without you, we’ve proven that.”

“But no one wants me around.”

“Sure we do.” Patton smiled, continuing to run his hand through Virgil’s hair. “I love having you around. Would I be here if I didn’t want to see you?”

“I … I guess not … ” Virgil whispered.

“I love you, Kiddo. We all do.”

“Thanks … ”

“I came to tell you that I made chocolate cookies if you want to lick the bowl.” Patton smiled. Virgil sniffed and wiped his eyes with his sleeve, forcing a smile back.

“That sounds awesome.”

* * *

**Roman:**

“Gah!” Roman jumped in response to Virgil’s arrival in his room.

“Hello.” Virgil gave a small wave. Roman groaned.

“If it isn’t Misery Business … ” 

“Is that the best you got, Sir Prance-a-lot?”

“Prance-a-lot … Like Lancelot, I get it! You’re getting better at the nicknames.” Roman beamed proudly.

“It was meant to be insulting.” Virgil scowled.

“Well I loved it.” Roman smirked.

“Shame … ” 

“What, pray tell, are you doing in my room?” Roman asked.

“I … um … Do you … maybe … wanttotradeposters?”

“I’m sorry, what?” Roman asked.

“Do you want to trade posters?” Virgil repeated, holding up his Tim Burton posters. “I saw your Lion King posters and I kinda want them … ”

“Really?” Roman asked, looking up at the two posters. One was for Lion King, the other for Lion King 2. Both were dark in colour and Roman could see why Virgil would want them. “Are you sure you want to trade? You can just … have them … ”

“I-I’d feel guilty.” Virgil confessed, holding out his posters. “Please.”

“Very well.” Roman took the posters from Virgil, noticing how Virgil moved his hand so their hands would inevitably touch upon transference of the posters. Roman smiled. “Feel free to take them down.”

“Um … could you … ?” Virgil muttered. “I don’t want to ruin your wall … ”

“Sure … ” Roman eyed him suspiciously but took the two posters down and held them out to Virgil. Again, Virgil made sure his their hands touched as he took the posters gratefully.

“Thanks.” Virgil blushed slightly. “I-I should go.”

“You could … stay here?” Roman offered.

“Thanks, but no thanks.”

* * *

“Why are we all gathered here?” Roman asked. “And where’s Virgil?”

“I wanted to speak to you all about him.” Logan explained. “Has anyone noticed anything … unusual? About his behaviour?”

“He’s brushed my hands a few times.” Roman recalled.

“And he was behaving like a cat the other day when I brushed his hair.” Patton added.

“He brushed my hand too.” Logan pondered for a moment. “Virgil is suddenly seeking physical contact from us all without wanting us knowing about it.”

“Maybe he just wants a hug but he’s too scared to ask?” Patton suggested.

“Well, he does put on a dark persona. Hugs aren’t very fitting.” Roman pointed out. Logan nodded.

“Agreed. Perhaps we should make an effort to engage in physical contact, rather than have him seek it out himself.”

“Splendid idea.” Roman beamed. Patton clapped his hands excitedly.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, the sides all made an effort to engage in small physical contacts with Virgil whenever they could. They brushed their hands over his, rubbed his back, pat his shoulders, brushed his hair, rubbed his arms, any small gestures they could think of until, eventually, Virgil picked up on it.

“Not that I’m complaining … ” Virgil muttered, earning the attention of all the sides, who were sitting at the breakfast table. “But why are you all mushy on me all of a sudden?”

“What do you mean?” Patton asked.

“I mean, what’s with all the touching?”

“But … ” Logan glanced at everyone before turning back to Virgil. “We thought that was what you wanted.”

“Well … y-yeah, it is, I-I guess … But why are you … ?”

“We sorta noticed, Kiddo.” Patton smiled. “You could have just asked if you needed a physical presence.”

“I just … ” Virgil sighed, putting his head in his hands. “I’ve never been touched before, and the other day, Patton bumped my shoulder, and I just … I don’t know, I think I’m … desperate … ”

“Kiddo, all you gotta do is ask!” Patton beamed, jumping up from his seat and hugging Virgil tight. Logan and Roman shrugged and did the same. Virgil blushed.

“This feels so nice … ” Virgil whispered. “What is this?”

“It’s a hug, Virge.” Roman explained. “Have you really never had a hug?”

“Not that I can remember … ”

“No wonder he didn’t ask for physical contact. He wasn’t aware that he could have it.” Logan whispered to himself more than to anyone else.

“Any time you want a hug or a poke or anything, you can always ask us.” Patton beamed. Virgil sank into his family’s embrace, lapping the physical warmth and comfort it provided. Perhaps he could ask for more hugs later.


End file.
